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BNC goes online in 2015

The advertising and editorial contests administered by MPA will move online in 2015 for both entry submission and judging.

The MPA Board of Directors voted at its April meeting in Oxford to join neighboring states of Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama in moving the Better Newspaper Contest to an online platform. Dozens of other press associations have also made the switch in recent years.

"This move is a long time in coming but we believe it will ultimately make the process of entering the contest much easier for our members," said Layne Bruce, MPA-MPS executive director.

The first zmpS contest to move online will be the 2014 BNC Editorial Division deadlining in March 2015.

"We hope that by giving everyone plenty of advance notice that we can work through many growing pains early and properly address concerns of our members," Bruce said.

The next cycle of the BNC Advertising Division deadlining this October will still be administered "the old fashioned way," Bruce said.

Training webinars will be scheduled for later this year, he said, and two workshops will be available at the Mid-Winter Conference in January for members who want first-hand experience with the new system before entering.

MPA has entered into an agreement with Inois Press Association to use its proprietary ICES contest platform. MPA members will submit PDF entries online now to enter the editorial and advertising contests in lieu of standard tearsheets. Bruce said judging will also take place online by volunteer members of other state press associations.

"Many of our members already have some experience with these platforms by judging other state contests," Bruce said. "The systems have advanced a lot in recent years and are now much more user friendly."

Bruce added that not all contest categories will immediately be judged online. "Some of the more involved categories like General Excellence and certain special sections will still be judged as physical entries."

For more information on the contest changes, contact Bruce, 601-981-3060.